FDA to test for Glyphosate

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently announced plans to measure glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s number one selling herbicide RoundUp, in soybeans, corn, milk and eggs alongside other potential foods. This comes as the International Agency for Research on Cancer recently classed the chemical as a ‘probable carcinogen’. Previously the FDA have claimed that testing for residue would be too “cost- and labor-intensive to implement”, the change of heart comes after new more cost effective “streamline” methods have been developed.

Orders to withdraw Gardasil

A nurse from Kilbeggan, Ireland, has recently appealed in court for the Gardasil vaccine to be withdrawn. This comes after her daughter experienced adverse reactions to the vaccine resulting in her hospitalisation. The support group R.E.G.R.E.T (Reaction and Effects of Gardasil Resulting in Extreme Trauma) is supporting her position. A recent study has suggested a link between the vaccine and peripheral nervous system damage. To learn more about ANH-Intl’s on going concerns over the safety and efficacy of the HPV Vaccine, visit our Vaccine Choice campaign page.

EU glyphosate vote postponed

Several EU countries have voiced their concern over the relicensing of glyphosate, the key herbicidal ingredient in Monsanto’s “million-dollar brand Roundup”. Italy, France, the Netherlands and Sweden are all opposing the findings from an assessment by the European food safety authority (EFSA) that glyphosate is harmless. EFSA had expected to ‘rubber stamp’ a 9-year relicense for the chemical on Tuesday, but the opposition from 4 influential Member States has meant the vote has now been postponed until May 2016.

Talc Whistleblower

Deane Berg tells her story to The Post about her battle with ovarian cancer, caused by her decades-long use of Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder. In 2013 she chose to sue the company, but was awarded zero damages. Prior to the verdict Johnson & Johnson offered Berg $1.3 million to sign a confidentiality clause, which she turned down, and “blew the whistle instead”. This has paved the way for hundreds of women who have suffered the same fate to receive the compensation they deserve. The family of Jackie Fox will be the first of many to receive damages. Berg’s lawyer has described her as, “… the equivalent of the first smokers who sued - The pioneers didn’t receive compensation, but the dangers and the conspiracy were finally exposed”.

Are you being poisoned by your personal care products?

A new study has found that even a short break from certain personal care products can significantly lower the level of hormone-disrupting chemicals in the body. Researchers provided 100 teenage girls with products labelled free from phthalates, parabens, triclosan and oxybenzone, chemicals that are often found in personal care products and have been shown in animal studies to interfere with the body’s endocrine (hormonal) system. An analysis of urine samples before and after the trial showed a significant decrease in the levels of these chemicals in the body after the trial period.

NHS “to practice what it preaches”

The NHS England is to remove adverts, price promotions and checkout displays for unhealthy foods in all health centres, from April 2016, in a bid to pave the way for a sugar tax. A whopping £600m of funding has been set aside to encourage healthier habits for health workers. Simon Stevens has said it is time for the NHS “to practice what it preaches”. As part of this new campaign, NHS Trusts have also been told they must “do more to ensure that staff have their winter flu vaccine”, as uptake is so low at around 50% when the target is closer to 75%. Get educated to make an informed choice on vaccination by visiting our Vaccine Choice Campaign page.